As the Vice President, Collective Leadership, you will lead critical efforts in supporting and learning with regions in the advancement of collective leadership and alumni mobilization efforts across the network and in establishing and advancing a national point of view on alumni leadership development rooted in our organization-wide Theory of Leadership Development. This Vice President works in deep and close partnership with the VP, Engagement who oversees efforts to design and implement programmatic efforts to engage the national base and direct to constituent resources and services.
As the VP, Collective Leadership you are responsible for setting vision and charge for the optimal ways in which the national CLE team can partner with regions through our learning organization infrastructure to ensure that over time many more of our regions are able to engage in rigorous planning, implementation and learning in relation to collective leadership advancement across the continuum. In partnership with Program Partners, the VP will be working to help encourage regional innovation, support learning from iteration, document and share discoveries and successes from across the network.
Excellence in this role requires knowledge and perspective on the unique value add of Teach For America in fueling the movement for educational equity with extraordinary and diverse talent. To lead this work well, you must be a visionary and energetic leader with strong skills in planning, and executing. You are an expert in the leadership required in the pursuit of educational equity and are able to leverage scholarly research and Teach For America’s program data (national and regional) and information to drive strategy. You are strategic, organized and systems-oriented. You excel at building relationships, engaging effectively, executing complex projects that require creativity and innovation, and influencing others to outcomes. You are a partner to your team members, both inspiring excellence and supporting and developing them to have optimal outcomes.
Provide expertise in collective leadership & action to Home Teams (cohorts of TFA regions), alumni staff in regions, and the network as a whole
- With SVP and experts internally and externally, formulate and evolve CLE’s point of view, strategy, and the elements that drive a thriving alumni network
- Collaborate with our in-house Leadership Development team to incorporate collective leadership learnings and insights to our Leadership Development theory and frameworks.
- Serve as our internal expert on collective leadership and action and lend that expertise to regions on a consultative basis through Program Partners.
- Program Partners work within Home Teams (cohorts of regions) and are responsible for facilitating cycles of learning and the advancement of data-driven innovation in regions. Program Partners may also provide advice and coaching to regions which is also to be aligned with national programs theories, frameworks and resources. Therefore, the VP works closely with Program Partners to ensure they are equipped with the best resources and information from the CLE team in order for them to do their work of facilitating learning and supporting regional effectiveness and impact.
- The VP also collaborates with Program Partners in capturing knowledge and insights emerging from learning cycles and feeding them back into the CLE strategy, so that our perspective evolves and our resources to regions are aligned with the most pressing and relevant issues and needs.
- Partner with Org-Wide Learning & Strategy (OWLS) team on research related to collective leadership and action. This may include participating in regional reviews, leading or co-leading studies on alumni impact, ensuring key findings emerging from learning cycles are being captured and properly accounted for in our knowledge management systems, ensuring the CLE team is leveraging OWLS resources and other efforts related to ensuring CLE’s data and information are up to date and that we’re actively involved and supportive of the evolution of theories and strategies regarding collective leadership and impact.
- With SVP, represent TFA in Teach For All (TFAll) collective leadership efforts (e.g., communities of practice across TFAll)
- Designs scope and sequence of alumni facing staff Professional Learning Community. This PLC is a critical lever in our internal strategy of communicating the CLE work and partnership with regions.
- Primary partner with VP, Regional Operations Partner who is responsible for working with regions in setting contextualized regional visions that re co-created with alumni and set regions up for advancing the collective leadership of their alumni.
Team Leadership
- As a member of the CLE Leadership Team, the VP, Collective Leadership manages and influences peers and sub-teams to outcomes, including but not limited to integrating the Theory of Leadership and Leadership Development Framework into our sub-team strategies, and telling the story of the collective leadership and impact of our alumni through media such as One Day Magazine and other marketing and communications channels.
Collaboration and Partnership Across Teams
- Build strong relationships with colleagues and partners across the network in order to effectively lead and manage cross-team projects.
- Collaborate with others across Regional Operations and CLE in staying connected to the Leadership for Educational Excellence (LEE) organization, which also serves Teach For America alumni, to actively pursue points of intersection and potential collaboration.
Contributions to Organizational Leadership
- Contribute to a strong team culture rooted in the organizational core values and our commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.
- Steward the organizational strategy, priorities, and advance impact toward breakthrough results.
Prior Experience
- 10 + years of professional experience
- Strong understanding of Teach For America alumni
- Ability to build strong relationships and credibility with diverse stakeholders
- Experience navigating nuanced partnerships and establishing positive relationships with peer organizations
- Proven track record of success in setting vision and direction
- Knowledge of adult learning and leadership development and community building frameworks preferred
- Knowledge of situational leadership framework preferred
- Knowledge of collective leadership frameworks and research highly preferred
Work Demands
- Ability to travel to in-person meetings in various U.S. cities, approximately once a month. Occasional weekend or evening work is required.
Skills
- Vision Setting, Strategy and Planning Skills
- Ability to set vision, charge and strategy for team and projects independently but collaboratively
- Ability to inspire team and others to action through clear articulation of organizational mission, vision, strategic direction and role of team in that context
- Innovative and urgent approach to goal setting and execution
- Ability to set appropriate goals and relevant metrics for team and individual team members
- Excellent judgment and effective prioritization
- Ability to create effective, efficient, and prioritized plans (and contingency plans) to guide the teams work and lead to outcomes
- Strong critical thinking skills and ability proactively identify opportunities and problems
- Ability to develop and cultivate effective relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders and support them in contributing to a shared goal
- Creative and responsive approach to team direction and execution toward outcomes
- Effective situational leadership skills to manage peers and others to outcomes with varying levels of experience